Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), Thursday 27 October 1938, page 1


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NEW YORK, Wednesday.

Americans spy inquiry today produced as witness a beautiful brunette with the fascinating personality that readers of espionage fiction demand.

She was Miss Senta Dewanger, former German proprietress of a liquor bar, who had been held in protective custody since last summer. Despite her paleness and obvious nervousness, she was an attractive, figure and gave strength to the Government's contention that her charm made the liquor store, which she operated near the Long Island airport, the centre of officers' gatherings. Aviation Secrets The prosecution alleged that at these gatherings German spies obtained important aviation secrets. Before the trial police said that Miss Dewanger was friend of a former German army officer, who killed himself on Long Island beach last February. He was believed to have committed suicide for reasons connected with the spy ring in America. The police alleged that the girl paid the expenses of sending his body back to his and her home town in Germany.

— After weeks of testimony not particularly interesting or especially revelatory the German spy trial today revealed the real seriousness of the Reich's espionage activities in the United States. Turning from the clumsy and amateurish efforts of Guenther Rumrich (one of the accused who pleaded guilty and turned State's evidence), the prosecutor began to lay bare the skilled accomplishments of professional operators in the German intelligence service.

Miss Dewanger testified that she was a native of Germany but had been a naturalized American citizen for three years. She said that William Lonkowski, one of the fugitive accused, had rooms at her house, where he maintained a chemical and photographic laboratory. Among Lonkowski's visitors, said Miss Dewanger, were the indicted German's Otto Voss. Dr. Griebl, who escaped to Germany, and Karl Schlueter. formerly political officer on the German liner Bremen. A dramatic touch was given to her evidence when she said that once, when Mrs. Lonkowski had too much drink, she boasted that the German Government paid for the various luxuries enjoyed by her and her husband. Miss Dewanger said that the couple always seemed well supplied with money. She said that she often brought parcels from Lonkowski to Griebl and Schlueter. Voss, who is accused of stealing aeroplane plans while working in an American factory, frequently brought small packages to Lonkowski, she added. Spies' Plans In Violin Case A United States Customs guard told of the seizure of a violin case containing photographs of an experimental U.S. army bomber which had been despatched by Lonkowski and Schlueter. The photographs had been accompanied by letters covering vital construction details, known only to army engineers, for retractable landing gear. Seversky floats, wing tank sections and streamlining. All letters were signed 'Sex,' said to have been Lonkowski's alias. During the Customs guard's evidence letters taken from Lonkowski were produced. They contained such confidential matter that even today the United States forbids , their being read in open court. j

Mentions von Papenl One letter linked an army captain stationed at a New Jersey post with the German spy circle, which was apparently working directly with 'von Papen.' The Customs guard said that he j asked Lonkowski to identify von Papen. Lonkowski replied 'He is a German official in Austria but 1 do ? not know him.' It was revealed during evidence that Lonkowski was allowed to escape because Customs officials did not realise at the time the importance of their! discoveries. i (Captain von Papen, as naval attache at the New York embassy during the early part of the war, directed sabotage activities on the American waterfronts to prevent munitions and food supplies from reaching England. After the war he became German Chancellor before Hitler, later' Minister in Austria nnd Turkey. His retirement was an- i nounced last week.) ] Returning to the stand. Rumrich art- 1 mitted that his brother Hans was arrested in Czechoslovakia as a German: spy. Rumrich expressed the opinion' that the Czechs were warned by Eng- i lish.and American authorities. '

SENTA DEWANGER ... her charm is alleged to have lured U.S. army officers.